Yarn package support

ABSTRACT

A device for supporting a package of yarn attendant its unwinding and for preventing the snagging and breaking of the yarn is an integrally formed unit and includes a vertical hub which engages the yarn package, an annular bottom wall joining the bottom of the hub and provided along its periphery with an upwardly directed outer wall. Extending from the upper edge of the outer wall is an upwardly outwardly inclined annular base member provided on its top face with radially extending ribs of triangular cross-section. The yarn package is engaged by the hub and the outer border of its underface rests on the ribs so that the withdrawal of yarn disposed along the underface of the package is facilitated.

United States Patent Lesavoy [54] YARN PACKAGE SUPPORT [72] Inventor: Lawrence Lesavoy, New York,

Assignee: Glen Creations, Inc., New York,

[ 51 Sept. 12, 1972 1,732,057 10/1929 McGill ..242/l30 Primary ExaminerLeonard D. Christian Attorney-William R. Liberman [57] ABSTRACT A device for supporting a package of yarn attendant its unwinding and for preventing the snagging and breaking of the yarn is an integrally formed unit and includes a vertical hub which engages the yarn package, an annular bottom wall joining the bottom of [63] continuationdn'pzm of the hub and provided along its periphery with an up- 1968' wardly directed outer wall. Extending from the upper edge of the outer wall is an upwardly outwardly [52] US. Cl ..242ll29.8, 242/130 inclined annular base member provided on its top face [51] llil. Cl. ..B65h 49/00 with radially extending ribs of triangular cross section [58] Field of Search ....242/l29.5129.8, The yam package i engaged by the hub and the outer 242/130 118-4; 112/23l border of its underface rests on the ribs so that the withdrawal of yarn disposed along the underface of References Cited the package is facilitated.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 2,461,724 2/1949 Davidson ..242/ 130 2,965,057 12/1960 Lakin ..1 12/231 $14 h t r f, "I L n 25H I! 9/ '4 4 1 Z1 {I i L 6 Z?" Hi & 7; f i- \;g [j /6 & \il. x

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l a i iunle '5 l I Z7 Z6 0 PATENTEDSEP 12 I972 INVENTOR ATTORNEY YARN PACKAGE SUPPORT REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION The present application is a continuation-in-part of copending application, Ser. No. 749,456, filed Aug. 1, 1968.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to improvements in yarn handling devices and it relates particularly to an improved support for ayarn package attendant the unwinding thereof.

In the unwinding of a package of yarn attendant the use of further handling or treatment of the yarn, such as in knitting and other yarn processing machines, or in the treatment of the yarn, such as in its repackaging, twisting, plying, braiding, sizing and like, the yarn is commonly withdrawn from the end of the package. The yarn package may be in the form of a cone, tube, cake or the like and package is usually'engaged by a vertical hub and rests on a base. The yarn is vertically axially withdrawn and balloons outwardly as it rotates about the package. A difficulty and problem encountered with unwinding the yarn package in the above manner, particularly in the early stages of theunwinding, is the frequent snagging of the yarn resulting in the application of excessive tension and the breaking of the yarn. Such snagging usually occurs between the underface of the yarn package and the supporting base and, although there have been proposals for solving this problem, the proposed structuresare unreliable and relatively complicated and otherwise leave much to be desired and have thus not been widely adopted.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved yarn package support.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved support for yarn packages such as cones, cakes, tubes and the like which facilitates the unwinding of the yarn from the package.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved device for the support of a package of yarn which permits the unwinding of the yarn from the package with a minimum of snagging, excess tension, scuffing, and breakage attendant such unwinding.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a yarn package support of the above nature characterized by its sturdiness, simplicity, reliability, ease and convenience of use, low cost, and high versatility and adaptability.

The above and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment thereof.

In a sense the present invention contemplates the provision of a yarn package support comprising an upwardly concave circular base member having an upwardly and outwardly inclined top face, a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially extending ribs positioned on said top face, and a vertical hub coaxial with said base member and projecting above the level thereof.

In accordance with a structure embodying the present invention, which may be employed to great advantage, the support device is preferably but not necessarily integrally formed as a unit, the base member having a circular central opening, and the ribs extend radially between the-inner and outer edges of the base member and are of triangular transverse cross-section. The hub is an upwardly tapering tubular member projecting through and below the base opening and having an outer face spaced from the edge of the opening. A peripheral wall depends from the edge of the opening and the bottom edge thereof is connected to the bottom edge of the hub by an annular wall thereby providing a well into which the lower border of the yarn package core, when provided, may enter.

The improved yarn package support described above facilitates the end unwinding of the yarn and, by reason of the manner in which the underface of the yarn package is supported, any yarn which is not properly wound on the package, particularly yarn which is disposed below or at the underface of the package, is withdrawn during the unwinding procedure with substantially little or no snagging, and other undesirable conditions, and with a minimum of backforce and tension and the obviation of breakage. The improved device is simple, sturdy, inexpensive and versatile in operation. I

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a yarn package support embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 in FIG. 1, a yarn cone being shown carried by the support;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention, reference numeral 10 generally designates the improved yarn package support illustrated as applied to the unwinding of a cross wound cone 11 of a twisted yarn 12, it being understood that device 10 is applicable as well to the unwinding of other yarn packages, such as cakes, cheeses, tubes and the like. Support 10 is advantageously integrally formed of any suitable material, such as a synthetic organic polymeric resin, for example, polystyrene, polypropylene, polyvinylchloride, nylon or the like, and it may be advantageously produced by injection molding. The support 10 is mounted in any suitable manner on or proximate the equipment which effects the unwinding thereof from the stationary package 11.

The package yarn support 10 includes a circular or annular base 13 having a circular central opening 14, base 13 being inwardly downwardly inclined from the outer to the inner edges thereof and being of shallow inverted conical shape. Integrally formed on the top face of base 13 are a plurality of circumferentially spaced ridges 16 which extend radially from the inner to the outer edges of base 13. Each rib 16 is of triangular transverse cross-section and includes upwardly converging side faces 17, the underface of base 13 having radial triangular grooves 18 formed therein underlying corresponding ridges 16. Ridges 16 are of such height as to support a yarn package 11 along the outer border of the underface of yarn package 11 so that the underface 27 of the yarn package 11 is positioned above and out of contactwith the main top face of base 13.

Depending from the inner peripheral edge of base 13 is a slightly downwardly inwardly inclined circular wall 19 provided along its bottom edge with an inwardly directed horizontal annular wall 20. A hub-defining upwardlyinwardly inclined conical wall 21 projects upwardly from the inner edge of annular wall 20, the inward inclination of wall 21 being increased at the upper part 22 thereof. Hub wall upper part 22 terminates in an'inwardly directed flange 23 delineating a central top opening. It should be noted that the dimensions of hub 21 are such as to engage the core member 24 of yarn package 11 while permitting yarn package 1 l to rest on base member 13 as described above and the lowering of the yarn package 11 with the unwinding of yarn 12. Walls 19 and and the lower section of hub 21 delineate an annular well 26 which receives the lower border of yarn package conical core 24.

Considering now the operation of the improved yarn package support 10 described above, the package of yarn 11, a cross wound cone, as shown, is lowered onto support -10 with hub 21 axially registering with the conical package core 24 and the outer border of the underface 27 of yarn package 11 resting on the apices of ribs 16, with the remainder of underface 27 being above the level of the underlying portion of base 13. As yarn 12 is axially withdrawn endwise from the top of yarn package 11 itrotates and balloons outwardly in the known manner so that the pull on the yarn is normally outwardly and tangential of the yarn package, substantially in the direction of the arrows in FIGS. 3 and 4. in normal unwinding, yarn 12 is withdrawn from the outerface of yarn package 1 1. However, some sections 28 of yarn 12 may occur along or below the package underface 27 or about the lower border of package core 28 below package underface 27, and employing the conventional package supports,such condition leads to snagging and yarn breakage. Also, ballooning of the yarn during its unwinding often causes portions thereof to drop below the bottom of the yarn package and thus to snag against the support and yarn package bottom. With the present improved support 10, the pull on yarn l2 attendant the end unwinding thereof draws the yarn 12 occurring below the package underface 27 along the space between base 13 and underface 27 until the yarn 12 reaches a point of contact between the apex of a rib 16 and the outer border of the package underface 27, which offers little resistance to the traversing thereof by the yarn 12, by reasonof the relatively high momentum of the unwinding yarn 12, the unwinding tension thereof and the wedging effect between the face 17 of ridge 16 and package underface 27. Accordingly, there is little increase in the tension on the unwinding yarn l2, and no snagging or significant rubbing'thereof attendant the unwinding of improperly wound yarn so that a smooth unwinding action is experienced and yarn breakage is obviated.

With the unwinding of yarn package 11 the outer diameter of its mderface 27 decreases so t at the yarn package 11 an core 24 drop a ong hub 2 When the diameter of underface 27 is less than that of opening 14 the lower part of the partially unwound package 1 1 drops intoannular well 26 for a short distance at which point it is freed of ribs 16. v

While there has been described and illustrated a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is apparent that numerous alterations, omissions and additions may be made without departing from the spirit thereof.

1 claim:

1. A yarn package support comprising a circular base member having an upwardly outwardly inclined top face, a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially extending ribs positioned on said top face and a vertical hub coaxial with said base member and projecting above the level thereof. 7

2. The yarn package support of claim 1 wherein said base member has'a central opening formed therein and said hub projects below the level of the peripheral edge of said opening and has an outer face radially spaced from said opening edge.

3. The yarn package support of claim 2 including an open topped annular channel member having an outer leg integrally formed with said base member inner edge and an inner leg defined by the lower border of said hub.

4. The yarn package support of claim 2 wherein said radial ribs extend between the inner and outer edges of said base member.

5. The yarn package support of claim 1 wherein said ribs have upwardly converging longitudinal side faces. I

6. The yarn package support of claim 1 wherein said ribs have triangular transverse cross sections.

7. The yarn package support of claim 1 wherein said hub tapers upwardly.

8. The yarn package support of claim 1 formed as an integral unit, said base member having a central circular opening, said ribs extending radially from the edge of said opening to the outer edge of said base member and having upwardly sharply converging longitudinal side faces, said hub projecting through said opening to below the level thereof and including a peripheral wall depending from the inner edge of said base member to the bottom edge of said hub, and an annular wall interconnecting the bottom edges of said depending peripheral wall and of said hub. 

1. A yarn package support comprising a circular base member having an upwardly outwardly inclined top face, a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially extending ribs positioned on said top face and a vertical hub coaxial with said base member and projecting above the level thereof.
 2. The yarn package support of claim 1 wherein said base member has a central opening formed therein and said hub projects below the level of the peripheral edge of said opening and has an outer face radially spaced from said opening edge.
 3. The yarn package support of claim 2 including an open topped annular channel member having an outer leg integrally formed with said base member inner edge and an inner leg defined by the lower border of said hub.
 4. The yarn package support of claim 2 wherein said radial ribs extend between the inner and outer edges of said base member.
 5. The yarn package support of claim 1 wherein said ribs have upwardly converging longitudinal side faces.
 6. The yarn package support of claim 1 wherein said ribs have triangular transverse cross sections.
 7. The yarn package support of claim 1 wherein said hub tapers upwardly.
 8. The yarn package support of claim 1 formed as an integral unit, said base member having a central circular opening, said ribs extending radially from the edge of said opening to the outer edge of said base member and having upwardly sharply converging longitudinal side faces, said hub projecting through said opening to below the level thereof and including a peripheral wall depending from the inner edge of said base member to the bottom edge of said hub, and an annular wall interconnecting the bottom edges of said depending peripheral wall and of said hub. 